Tales of the Nobody: Creation
by Jinnizzle
Summary: Axel discovers a boy lost in the World That Never Was. Follows Roxas's creation and initiation into Organization XIII. Only slight AkuRoku in early chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**TALES OF THE NOBODY**

Chapter 1:

**CREATION**

When his eyes finally opened, he was gazing upon unfamiliar surroundings. He was lying flat on his back on the cold stone ground of a deserted street. It was dark, however he could make out the luminescent glow of street signs in the distance. Where was he? As he awkwardly struggled to his feet, he came to a shocking realization; he had no memory of anything. Who he was, where he had come from… Nothing. His legs were weak and he instantly fell back to the ground. Had he forgotten how to walk too? The sound of footsteps echoed through the streets around him, and it wasn't long before he saw the dim light of a lantern appear in front of him. A figure of a man, cloaked from head to toe in black, stopped before him. Although his face was completely concealed by a deep hood, the boy could feel the mysterious man's eyes fixed upon him.

It was then he realized that he was naked.

'What are you doing here?' The hooded figure with the lantern asked. The boy just stared blankly, unsure of what to say. The figure gave out a sigh.

'Well do you have a name?' He asked irritably.

Again, the boy said nothing and shook his head. 'I d-don't know,' he said hesitantly.

The figured squatted down to where the boy sat awkwardly on the pavement and set the lantern down beside him.

'Well, well, well. Looks like we've got a new-born here' He drew back his hood revealing a mane of stunning blood red hair. 'The name's Axel,' he said. 'Got it memorized?'

Axel watched as the small naked boy in front of him didn't know how to reply. He studied the boy for a moment, his green eyes scanning the boy's slender features. He had bright blue eyes and spiky blonde hair, but his features where fine and childlike, although he appeared to be well into his adolescent years. Axel smiled slightly and unzipped his coat. Underneath, he was dressed only in black leather pants and knee-high boots. He pulled off the heavy coat and wrapped it around the boy.

'Here, this should keep you warm,' Axel said as he stood back to his feet. 'Guess I should take you with me.'

He scratched at the back of his head while the blonde boy struggled into his coat. It was miles too big for him; the sleeves hung inches over his hands. Axel stretched his hand out towards the boy, gesturing for him to take it. Hesitantly, the boy accepted and placed his slender hands in Axel's. He was pulled abruptly to his feet, but lost his balance and fell into Axel's bare chest. His skin was cold, but surprisingly comforting.

'Whoa, careful,' Axel said, pulling the boy away from him. 'Can't you walk either?'

The boy shook his head.

'Oh jeez,' Axel exclaimed, slapping his hand against his forehead. 'We're not all be this helpless when we're created, are we?'

The boy seemed hurt by Axel's comment, and the expression on his face dropped. Axel sighed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly again. He lifted the boy up on to his back and began carrying him along down the streets.

Every street they passed seemed near identical to the last as they walked silently along in the darkness.

'What is this place?' The blonde boy asked as he watched the buildings pass by.

'The World That Never Was,' Axel stated simply. 'Lovely place isn't it?'

The boy raised an eyebrow. Lovely? It was so dark, miserable, and above all else, lonely.

'I was only joking, Kid,' Axel said, realizing that the boy did not understand sarcasm either.

Once again they continued on in silence. The boy felt his head grow heavy as the rhythmic movement of Axel's body underneath him was slowly lulling him to sleep. There was something about this man that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He knew nothing about him, and yet he felt safe. He nuzzled his face into Axel's back and closed his eyes.

'Hey Kid,' Axel said sharply, shaking the boy. 'Don't do that.'

'I'm sorry,' the boy said quickly.

Axel sighed again. 'I guess I can't keep calling you that, huh, Roxas?'

'What?' The boy asked.

'That's your name: Roxas,' Axel said with a smile. 'R-O-X-A-S, Roxas. Got it memorized?'

'Roxas…' he repeated softly and smiled weakly.

By the time they approached their destination, Roxas had given into his fatigue and fallen asleep on Axel's back. The boy was surprisingly light and his shallow breathing was somewhat soothing. As he approached the gates of the castle, someone was waiting for him. Another cloaked figure stood leaning against the wall, arms folded.

'What have you picked up this time, Axel? Another reject, I'm sure,' the figure said mockingly.

Axel laughed arrogantly. 'Bite me, Saix,' he said and stuck his finger up at the cloaked man as he passed through the entrance of the castle.

'So you think you've found him, do you?' Saix said, pulling back his hood, his long blue hair flowing down over his shoulders. His piercing golden eyes stared at Axel and the redhead came to a stop. He turned around to face Saix, an arrogant grin on his face.

'I found him in this world, so I'd say it's a pretty fair to say that he's the one. Only Nobody's can truly exist in darkness, after all,' Axel said. 'In any case,' he turned away again, 'he can do with my help.'

Axel carried Roxas down a series of corridors before arriving at a door with the number VII carved on it. He opened the door and lay the sleeping blonde boy down on the bed. Roxas stirred slightly and slowly woke. He sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily, looking curiously around the room. It was a pure white, perfectly square room with very little furniture.

'Where are we?' He asked.

'My room,' Axel replied simply as he pulled off his boots. 'Hungry?'

Roxas shook his head. No. Surprisingly he wasn't at all hungry. Axel smiled.

'No, I don't suppose you would be. We don't need it after all.'

Roxas raised an eyebrow, puzzled. Axel laughed.

'Guess you really don't know anything.' Axel stood and walked over to a cupboard on the far wall. 'You need something to wear,' he said and began rummaging through his clothes. He pulled out a plain black long sleeve shirt and pair of pants and tossed them over to Roxas. 'Put these on.'

Roxas began unzipping Axel's coat and wriggled his tiny frame out of its long sleeves. Axel felt his face grow hot and he quickly turned his back on the small boy.

'What's the matter?' Roxas asked, confused by Axel's sudden strange behavior.

'Uh, nothing. It's not polite to watch people change, or something,' he said awkwardly.

Roxas was not entirely satisfied with Axel's reasoning. He had already seen him naked, so what difference would it make now? The boy shrugged and quickly dressed into the new clothes.

'They're too big,' he said. The collar of the shirt was slipping down off his shoulder and the pants were almost falling off his hips. Axel moved over to the boy and readjusted his clothes. He smiled but didn't say anything.

'At least you can stand up now, that's something I guess.'

'I feel a little bit stronger now, but I still don't know how to walk,' Roxas explained shyly. Axel stood behind the boy and took both of his hands. Roxas swallowed nervously as he felt Axel's large frame pressed closely against his back.

'First move one leg,' he said, directing the boy's body with his own. 'Then the other.'

After taking a few steps together, Axel let go and allowed Roxas to move on his own.

'Good, good,' he praised as he began to move more confidently. As he gained momentum, Roxas suddenly lost his balance and fell, but Axel instinctively caught the boy's hand and pulled him up close to him.

'Don't get too carried away,' he said softly, his face only inches from Roxas's. He moved away and pulled on his coat.

'I guess we best go see Number I.'

Axel, Roxas/Kingdom Hearts II © Disney and Square-Enix

Tales of the Nobody © Jinnizzle 2006


	2. Chapter 2

Tales of the Nobody

Chapter 2

The Thirteenth Member

Axel pressed a button on the panel beside the doorway and the heavily polished white door slid open. Hesitantly, Roxas followed the tall redhead out into the wide corridor. On either side were several doors, each bearing the numbers one to twelve on them. The wide hallway was deserted as the two of them walked silently along. Suddenly, a strange lanky white figure appeared before them. Roxas jumped and instinctively latched onto Axel's hand, causing the redhead to laugh.

'Relax, Roxas,' he said calmly. 'This creature is one of us. A servant really. It's called a Dusk. Go on, try ordering it to do something.'

Roxas raised an eyebrow before flicking his hand towards the strange creature. 'Shoo!' He said and the Dusk instantly disappeared.

'See? Nothing to be afraid of!'

As they continued along, the uneasiness Roxas felt slowly grew. The emptiness of the pure white corridors was more than just uninviting. There was a sense of hollowness about the place that made Roxas's hairs stand on end. Both of his hands clung desperately to Axel as his followed him silently. Although his hand was gloved, Roxas could still feel the coldness of his skin. Why was Axel so cold?

'Is there something wrong?' Axel asked softly, having noticed Roxas's grip on his hand tighten.

'N-no,' Roxas replied unevenly. 'This place just makes me uneasy, that's all.'

'It has that effect on people. You'll get used to it.'

At the end of the corridor they approached a circular doorway that lead to a steep staircase. Roxas stumbled awkwardly at the bottom of the steps, having never encountered something so cumbersome. Without saying a word, Axel picked the small blonde boy up and carried him up the steps. Again, Roxas found himself blushing at the sensation of Axel's body against his own.

'T-thankyou,' Roxas mumbled as he set him down once they'd reached the top.

Axel smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. 'No problem.'

They now stood in front of an oddly shaped door, a mixture of a cross and a heart. As Axel approached the doorway, he pressed his hand against a panel on the wall. It lit up in recognition and the door slid open.

'Come on,' Axel said, grabbing Roxas's hand and pulled roughly along. Inside the room was a perfect circle with a ring of thirteen tall chairs around the walls. In each of the chairs sat black robed men, except for two that remained empty.

'Xemnas,' Axel said, bowing his head slightly as he stood in the centre of the room. 'I've brought you a gift.'

He jerked his arm sharply, forcing Roxas to the floor. 'Behold, your precious thirteenth member!'

Hushed chatter broke out around the room but it was quickly silenced by a simple raise of hand from the one Axel had addressed as Xemnas. Xemnas was an attractive man; his pale silver hair and his stunning orange eyes seemed to glow and set off the deep honey colour of his skin. He had a very commanding presence and carried himself with an almost otherworldly manner. Roxas quivered under the man's fierce, penetrating stare.

'Oh really?' Xemnas said slowly, his voice deep and smooth. 'However, what makes you so certain? This is not the first time you've come before me, bearing that claim.'

Axel shifted his feet uncomfortable. 'Yeah, ok, I'll admit if been wrong in the past, but this is the one! He's got no memory of anything and the Dusks already obey his commands. And I would think that the fact he's human would be a pretty clear indication towards the fact that he is, at the very least, a powerful Nobody.'

'You seem quite passionate about this one, Axel,' the blue-haired scared man, Saix, said. 'I believe you have said the same thing about others.'

'True, true,' Axel said dismissively. 'There's just something about this one, that's all. Well Xemnas?'

Xemnas rested his chin in his hand and continued to stare down at Roxas, thinking carefully.

'Very well, Axel. You have three days to train him and if you cannot produce solid proof that this is the final member of the Organization then I trust that you will not hesitate in disposing of him. Understand?'

Axel bowed his head again. 'I understand. Thankyou, Xemnas.' He looked around the circle of chairs, dipping his head slightly at each. 'By your leave.'

He grabbed Roxas by the hand again and dragged him from the room.

Axel mumbled a series of curses under his breath as he stormed from the room, Roxas in tow.

'Who are those people?' Roxas asked innocently as he struggled to keep up with Axel's hurried pace. 'The ones in the black coats?'

'Organization XIII, or rather Organization XII. A group of powerful Nobodies lead by Xemnas, formally Xehanort, an apprentice to Ansem the Wise,' Axel replied plainly.

'Organization XIII… So at the moment, there's only twelve of you?' Roxas was confused. Xemnas? Xehanort? Ansem the Wise? He had never heard any of these names before in his life and yet Axel was speaking as though he was expected to recognize them.

'Yes, I've been assigned to find the thirteenth member.'

'And you think that's me?'

'Yes, I do.'

Axel arrived at his room and pounded sharply on the button that sent the door sliding open. He unzipped his coat and tossed it aside before slumping down in a chair beside the wall. Roxas followed him quietly and sat down on the bed that was opposite Axel's chair.

'You seem angry,' Roxas observed cautiously, but Axel didn't reply.

'They piss me off, that's all,' he replied bluntly.

Roxas nodded and sat in silence for a moment. He did not understand a single word that was exchanged inside the meeting hall and his mind lusted for answers. While his lack of memory was through no fault of his own, he still felt hopeless and somewhat incomplete.

'Axel', he asked finally. 'What's a Nobody?'

The question had been plaguing his mind for some time. Axel had referred to him as a "powerful Nobody", yet he had no idea what it meant.

'A Nobody?' Axel asked, scratching at his head. 'Uh, how should I put this… Well, you're a Nobody. I'm a Nobody…'

'Yes I worked that out. But what exactly does that mean?' Roxas could see Axel was struggling but he continued to press harder. Suddenly Axel stood and sat down closely beside Roxas. He pressed his hand against his chest.

'You don't have a heart,' he said softly, almost a whisper.

Roxas blinked in surprise. 'I don't have a heart?' He repeated, hoping to make it sound more plausible. 'Doesn't that mean I'm d-dead?'

Axel shook his head. 'You're not dead. In fact, you were never really alive in the first place.'

Axel voice was soft and it seemed that he wasn't fully comfortable with the explanation either. Roxas shook his head slowly in disbelief. He felt his eyes grow warm and tears began to run down his cheeks.

'We don't exist, Roxas' he added.

Doesn't exist? How could that be? Axel was right there in front of him. He could feel his hand against his chest. His cold hand. It was beginning to make sense now, why Axel was so cold. He had no heart beat, nothing to keep his flesh warm, alive.

'Don't cry,' Axel whispered, wiping the tears from his face. 'You don't really have emotions, after all.'

Despite this, Roxas continued to sob. Axel's hand gently stroked his cheek, an action that proved incredibly comforting. He closed his eyes and gave into the soft caress of his tender skin. Axel moved closer to the boy, pressing his body against his, forcing him down against the bed. The hand that had been resting gently against Roxas's chest slowly slide down the outline of his body. Roxas could feel his breath brush over the exposed flesh of his neck and his body tingled with anticipation. Once Axel reached the hem of his shirt, he slid his hand underneath, gently touching Roxas's naked skin. He felt the boy flinch slightly and he quickly moved his hand away.

'Don't stop,' Roxas whispered, but Axel had already turned coldly away.

Axel, Roxas/Kingdom Hearts II © Disney and Square-Enix

Tales of the Nobody © Jinnizzle 2006


	3. Chapter 3

TALES OF THE NOBODY 

**Chapter 3:**

**TRAINING**

Roxas awoke the next morning, snuggled in the bed of Axel's room. The sweet smell of Axel's hair filled his nostrils as he buried his face deeper into the pillow. Although he was alone, Axel's scent still remained, as if lingering on purpose to taunt him. The events of last night were still vivid in his mind and he could still remember the sensations of Axel's cold fingers against his naked skin. Roxas felt his skin tingle as he remembered back to that brief moment of pleasure. Even though he was hesitant, he had shown no signs of struggle or discomfort and so he could not understand why Axel had abruptly pulled away. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. It slid open as Roxas sat up and awkwardly pulled the blanked up about him.

'Y-yes?' he called, his voice uneven. This was not his room and he felt uncomfortable about being found lying in someone else's bed.

A thin blonde man with stunning green eyes stood at the doorway. He looked around briefly before setting his gaze on the timid boy. He winked and smiled widely.

'You must be the new guy. Roxas was it?'

Roxas nodded shyly.

'Demyx,' the blonde man said, offering his hand in introduction. Roxas refused causing Demyx to descend into a somewhat awkward state.

'Ok, then…' he said slowly. 'Well in any case,' he began after regaining his composure, 'Axel's waiting for you in the Training Hall.'

Roxas studied the man for a moment. He was of average built, not overly tall, and had a very open and cheery face, although Roxas could detect the familiar sense of shyness that he also shared.

'Where is that?' Roxas asked.

'Ah, so you can talk,' Demyx said, slightly surprised. 'Follow the corridor straight down; enter the second last door on your right. From there take the elevator to 13th floor, turn left, then right and follow the…'

Demyx trailed off having realized that his directions were somewhat confusing. He scratched his head nervously.

'Do you want me to take you,' he offered at last.

Roxas nodded hesitantly before sliding out of bed. He moved slowly towards Demyx and slipped his hand into his, as he had done with Axel earlier. Demyx jumped slightly.

'A-alright then,' he said and swallowed uncomfortably. 'Follow me then.'

Axel sat silently alone in the pure white room. All four walls of the Training Hall were identical, giving the illusion that the room went on forever. A golden crack in the wall to his right slowly traced an outline of a doorway, and an opening appeared. Demyx entered, with a curious Roxas following behind him. Axel felt a brief, sharp pang of jealousy when he saw Roxas's hand entwined tightly with Demyx's. Demyx dropped his hand quickly once he felt Axel's hot gaze upon him.

'Xigbar was just here,' Axel began. 'Said he was looking for you. Best not keep the man waiting.' He smirked, hinting at something that Roxas did not understand.

'O-oh really? Thanks,' Demyx said and left the room. Once Roxas stepped inside, the opening in the wall melted together and once again appeared as solid as cement. He walked slowly towards where Axel was sitting, eyes darting around the lustrous white room, his footsteps echoing on the polished floor.

'Sit down,' Axel instructed. Obediently, he sat down in front of the redhead, his eyes locked on his face. As his gaze washed over his childlike features, Axel was once again consumed by an irrepressible desire to reach out and caress the small blonde boy's milky skin. He suddenly diverted his gaze in an attempt to suppress the unexpected urge.

'You left early this morning,' Roxas said softly.

'I had work to do,' he replied curtly. 'Now,' he said, getting to his feet, 'so do we. Stand up.'

Roxas did as he was instructed.

'Before you're officially initiated in to The Organization, we first must determine to nature of your abilities. To do that, you have to call forth your weapon.'

Roxas cocked his head to the side, puzzled. The fiery redhead sighed and brought his hand up to his face.

'You've got to be kidding me,' he mumbled. 'Alright then, I guess I'll have to show you.'

Axel loosened the zip on his black leather coat before back flipping several metres away from Roxas who continued to stare at him innocently. He stretched his arms out, and flexed the muscles in his fingers. A strange glow resonated from the palms of his hands, slowly growing and gaining heat and light as they expanded. Roxas shielded his eyes from the light with his forearms. When the flash died down, Axel was standing before him, surrounded by a strange smoky aura left behind from the bright light. In each hand were two strange looking circular bladed rings, with spikes protruding from the circumference. Axel spun them around his fingers, before gripping onto the bars that crossed over in the centre. He smiled arrogantly.

'Number VIII: Flurry of the Dancing Flames, at your service,' he said boldly. Roxas was stunned. Never before had he seen Axel with such intensity about him.

'Now, then,' he said, 'it's your turn.' His strange weapon's slowly faded away into his palms from where they had come and he began to walk towards Roxas. 'I don't suppose you know anything about fighting, huh?' Axel asked as he studied the boy. Roxas shook his head.

'Well, I guess we should start with the basics then. Otherwise, if I you attempt to pour all of your energy into calling your weapons, you may not survive. And we don't want now do we?'

He grabbed Roxas's wrists and pulled his arms up in a defensive position. He continued to manipulate the boy's body like a puppet until he appeared to be ready for combat.

'Try and hit me,' Axel instructed as he too assumed a fighting stance. 'Keep your fingers loose, and your palms slightly open.'

Roxas threw a rather slow and sloppy punch directly at Axel's face. Axel dodged effortlessly, a dug his fist into the boy's side as punishment for his careless attack. Roxas fell to the ground, clutching his left side in pain. Although his punch had not been very strong, it had enough force behind it to leave Roxas's skin bruised and stinging.

'Get up,' Axel, said pulling him roughly to his feet.

'Ouch, you don't have to be so rough. You're hurting me,' Roxas whined.

'What? You think the other's will go easy on you?' Axel shoved him hard enough to create adequate distance between them once more. 'Now, hit me.'

Roxas clenched his fists, his eyes locked on Axel's face. A sense of frustration and anger built up inside him. He could not figure Axel out at all. One moment he's kind and warm, and the next he's brusque and heartless. Was their moment last night just some cruel joke? Using the anger born from his pain, Roxas swung once more at the tall redhead. His fist slightly grazed Axel's right cheek.

'Not bad, Roxas,' Axel complemented, although he continued to easily dodge Roxas's bout of fierce attacks. He was brought to an abrupt end as his feet were knocked out from underneath him by a low sweeping kick. Roxas landed heavily on his back, the wind knocked from his lungs. As he gasped to regain his breath, Axel stood over him and lowered himself over the exhausted boy, pinning him to the ground.

'Keep leaving yourself open like that and I'll be forced to teach you a lesson,' Axel breathed, his face close to Roxas. Roxas's heart began to beat faster as Axel's body moved ever closer to his own. He glanced down at his lips that were now only mere centimeters from his own. Before he knew it, they had joined, and Axel pressed himself against the boy in forced passion. His hot kisses moved from his lips and slowly down his neck.

'Mmm,' he mumbled in between kisses, 'you taste nice.'

'Axel…' Roxas called softly. He pulled away and stared down into Roxas's innocent blue eyes. Roxas raised his hand slowly and brushed it across Axel's cheek. Although he was still confused about Axel's true feelings, he was content to stay here in this moment forever. Despite having known him for only a short while, there was something about Axel that had drawn him in and now he never wanted to leave.

Axel, Roxas/Kingdom Hearts II © Disney and Square-Enix

Tales of the Nobody © Jinnizzle 2007


End file.
